kylebacc
Aquarium Advice Regular
Hey,
I have a 29gal tank that I would like to setup for a reef. I have sort of half ass done this before, but I would like to do as much as I can right this time. What I am really looking for at this point is recommendations for my size tank. Here's what I need/want:
MH lighting. I currently have PC. What would be a good all in one setup? I want daytime, atinic, and nightime (lunar). Is there something that is "bolt on" for lack of a better expression. Or does it all have to be pieced together?
I have lots of tropic marin salt left over, I know this is a fight waiting to happen, but I just want to know the quality of it, if I need to add stuff to it (to feed some basic soft corals and whatnot). I don't really care how it matches up to IO or Oceanic lol, just tell me what it takes to make it work.
I have a prebuilt sump from my lfs that I would like to continue using. It has blue bioballs, which I have read thus far are not preferred. There is also a filter right before the water actually gets into the sump, should I keep that? It's just like some cheap flossy, cottony stuff. What do you think? Should the bioballs be replaced with lr?
Now my major question: If my last tank was left to "rot" per se, and about 85% of the water has evaporated from the tank (left as it was, just with everything shut off), would it be acceptable to take the 70lbs of lr, scrub it down thoroughly, rinse thoroughly, and reuse it as base rock? How much "live" live rock would I have to add to get this rock back up cured and running altogether? Or should this be taken back to my xLFS who I hate and sold to them as good stuff? Or thrown away lol.
Another thing is, when going to purchase sand, I was thinking of going to home depot like many have done, and taken vinegar to work out which (if any) sand is aragonite. Would this be seen as an accurate way of choosing sand? Or should I just overpay up the whazu for the "live" sand that is at my LFS in 25lb bags?
Also, can someone recommend a good protein skimmer for this size tank?
Thanks a whole lot for any and all of your input, I have learned everything I know from this site and books
Kyle
I have a 29gal tank that I would like to setup for a reef. I have sort of half ass done this before, but I would like to do as much as I can right this time. What I am really looking for at this point is recommendations for my size tank. Here's what I need/want:
MH lighting. I currently have PC. What would be a good all in one setup? I want daytime, atinic, and nightime (lunar). Is there something that is "bolt on" for lack of a better expression. Or does it all have to be pieced together?
I have lots of tropic marin salt left over, I know this is a fight waiting to happen, but I just want to know the quality of it, if I need to add stuff to it (to feed some basic soft corals and whatnot). I don't really care how it matches up to IO or Oceanic lol, just tell me what it takes to make it work.
I have a prebuilt sump from my lfs that I would like to continue using. It has blue bioballs, which I have read thus far are not preferred. There is also a filter right before the water actually gets into the sump, should I keep that? It's just like some cheap flossy, cottony stuff. What do you think? Should the bioballs be replaced with lr?
Now my major question: If my last tank was left to "rot" per se, and about 85% of the water has evaporated from the tank (left as it was, just with everything shut off), would it be acceptable to take the 70lbs of lr, scrub it down thoroughly, rinse thoroughly, and reuse it as base rock? How much "live" live rock would I have to add to get this rock back up cured and running altogether? Or should this be taken back to my xLFS who I hate and sold to them as good stuff? Or thrown away lol.
Another thing is, when going to purchase sand, I was thinking of going to home depot like many have done, and taken vinegar to work out which (if any) sand is aragonite. Would this be seen as an accurate way of choosing sand? Or should I just overpay up the whazu for the "live" sand that is at my LFS in 25lb bags?
Also, can someone recommend a good protein skimmer for this size tank?
Thanks a whole lot for any and all of your input, I have learned everything I know from this site and books
Kyle